Knock-down shipping container



Nov. 22, 1960 w. A. Kil-:NLEN

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' /42 WilburA. fie/zien BY m7 dorneys Nov. 22, 1960 w. A. KIENLEN xNocx-DowN SHIPPING CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 29, 1958 INVENTOR. Wilbur fQJ'e/zIe/z BY United This invention relates to the field of reusable shipping containers which can be knocked down into compact form for storage or transport when not actually being used as a container for goods.

I am aware that devices of this kind have been known in the prior art. The present invention, however, possesses a number of important advantages over such prior knock-down containers.

Thus, for example, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a knock-down shipping container having great mechanical strength and hence suitable for shipment of apparatus which is heavy and at the same time delicate, such as transformers, motors, and other electrical apparatus.

An object of the present invention is to provide a knock-down shipping container characterized by extreme rigidity, particularly in that the side walls are interlocked together by an arrangement of mating notches that hold the wall sections securely against both collapsing movement and axial slippage.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a knock-down shipping container having rigid end pieces which contribute greatly to the rigidity and strength of the over-all assembly and which are secured in position by an ingenious system of hook bolts.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a knock-down shipping container of great strength and rigidity which is held together entirely by simple bolts passing through drilled apertures provided therefor, without the use of any complicated hardware.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a typical embodiment of the invention.

In the appended drawing, Figures l and 2 are side elevation views of a typical shipping container embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same container. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view, partly in section, bringing out the manner in which the side-wall elements are anchored in place by means of bolted-together corner members. Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the shipping container of Figs. l-4, bringing out in considerable detail the physical structure of the various parts and the manner in which they co operate to form a rigid shipping container. Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary detail views, partly in section, showing alternative structural arrangements by means of which the interlocking side walls can be rigidly anchored in position when my shipping container is assembled for use.

Referring now to the drawing, and particularly to Figs. l-5, my knock-down shipping container is made up of rigid top and bottom members, respectively designated 11 and 12, four side-wall members, marked 13a, 13b, 13C, and 13d respectively, four corner brackets marked 14a- 14d respectively, and assorted hardware presently to be described.

The structural members are preferably made of strong rigid wood. The side walls 13a-13d and the top and bottates Patent fr" ce tom members 11 and 12 may best be made of plywood, since this material possesses the necessary strength and rigidity. As is brought out most clearly in Fig. 5, the side walls 13a-13d are generally rectangular in shape but have their mating edges provided with rectangular projections and notches so designed as to interlock tightly when assembled to form a rectangular box. As Fig. 5 shows, the mating edges of the wall members are provided with a plurality of interlocking rectangular notches and projections which t together to form a wall structure wherein the individual wall members cannot slip axially with respect to one another. Further, the rectangular shape of the notches and projections provides face-toface abutting surfaces along the corners of the structure which strongly reinforce the assembly and assist the corner brackets, presently to be described, in holding the container in a rigid rectangular shape.

It should be noted that the alternating rectangular notches and projections along the mating edges of the wall members 13a-13d are arranged with an odd number of notches on each edge, the position of a notch on one edge corresponding in each instance to the position of a projection on the opposite edge. This construction is of particular value in facilitating disassembly and reassembly of the container, since each of the four side-wall members is identical to all of the others. Thus, when the box is being knocked down for storage or transportation, it is not necessary to mark the wall members or otherwise to keep track of their relative positions in the box, since they are all interchangeable with one another.

To reinforce the side edges of the box, I provide the corner brackets 14a-14d. In the embodiment of Figs. 1-5, these brackets are made of wood formed as indicated With right-angle inner faces shaped to fit tightly over the mating edges of the side-wall members 13a-13d, as shown in Fig. 4. The corner members 14a-14d are drilled to receive bolts 15 which are provided with heads at one end and are threaded at their other ends to receive washers 16 and nuts 17. The apertures in the corner brackets 14 are preferably countersunk to bring the bolt heads and nuts lush with or slightly below the outer surfaces of the corner brackets when tightened, so as to avoid, in the assembled box, any outwardly projecting metal parts that might snag the clothing of persons handling the container or otherwise cause trouble.

The top and bottom members 11 and 12 are provided with flat face portions, preferably made of plywood, provided with edge anges, respectively marked 11a and 12a, which can be made of plywood or other suitable material, permanently held to the face portions with nails, screws, or glue.

If desired, the bottom member 12 may be provided on its under side with a pair of runners 12b for facilitating transportation of the loaded container by means of lift trucks or the like.

The top and bottom members are dimensioned so as to receive snugly within the anges 11a and 12a the side-wall assembly consisting of wall members 13 as interlocked together. Similarly, the length of the corner brackets 14 is chosen so as to abut against the inner faces of the flanges 11a and 12a when they are seated on the top and bottom, respectively, of the side-wall assembly. This dimensional relationship is clearly brought out in Figs. 1 and 2.

Likewise, the thickness of the flanges 11a and 12a and the dimensions of the top and bottom members are preferably chosen so as to provide a smooth, neat tit with the corner brackets 14, again as brought out in Figs. l and 2.

The top and bottom pieces 11 and 12 are suitably drilled along their edges to receive hook bolts 18. These hook bolts are threaded at their outer extremities to receive washers and nuts, like the bolts which hold together the corner brackets 14, and at their inner extremities the bolts 18 are shaped to define hookswhich t around and clamp against `the transverse bolts 15 'disposed adjacent the top and bottom members respectively. The details of this assembly are clearly brought out in Fig. 1. The drilled apertures in the top and bottom elements are preferably crountersunk to receive the nuts 17, for the same reason heretofore described with respect to the corner brackets 14.

Figs. 6 and 7 show alternative forms of corner brackets which may be used in my invention In Fig.A 6, the corner brackets 114 are metal stampings shaped to dene right-angle inner faces for abutment against Y the mated edges of the side-wall members 13 and drilled to receive bolts 15; that is, the metal members 114 are functionally similar to the wooden corner brackets used in the Figs. 1-5 embodiment.

K The Fig. 7 type of Vcorner bracket consists of a pair of wood blocks 214a held together by metal piano hinges While the alternative comer arrangements shown in Figs. 6 and 7 may be used in cases wherein metal reinforcement of the shipping container is desired, I have found, as a practical matter, that tremendous rigidity and strength, at low cost, can be obtained from the use of wooden corner brackets of the type shown in Figs. 1-5, and in practically all applications such wooden corner elements may be used satisfactorily.

In the operation of my invention, the container is tirst assembled on its base member, with all the parts securely bolted into position except the top piece 11. The material to be shipped in the container may then be inserted throughthe open top, with such padding, etc., as may be appropriate, and the top member 11 is thentitted into place over the top edges of the wall assembly,.being then bolted securely into place by means of the hook bolts-Rand their associated nuts and washers.

When the container with its contents has reached its destination, the shipping container can then be readily disassembled by removal of the nuts and bolts, leaving a compact assortment of wooden parts and hardware which can be stacked for transportation back to the point of origin with a minimum of waste space.

My shipping container can be used over and over againfwithout significant deterioration. Its rigidity and strength are as great or greater than the typical integral crate and its hrst cost is very little more than that of a crate, notwithstanding its tremendous advantage of con venient disassembly and repeated reusability.

While I have in this specification described in considerable detail certain typical embodiments of my invention, it should be understood that the illustrated structures are merely exemplary. Persons skilled in the art can make numerous changes in my shipping container while retaining the spirit and fundamental principles of my invention. It is therefore my desire that the scope of the invention be determined primarily by reference to the appended claims.

Iclaim:

l. A knock-down shipping ycontainer comprising a plurality of rigid side-wall members each having top and bottom edges and a pair of side edges, each of said side edges being formed with an odd number of alternating rectangular notches and projections, the notches and projections on one of the side walls of each said member being staggered relative vto the notches and projections on the other side wall of said member, whereby said wall elements are all identically formed and any pair can be mated together, substantially as shown and described, said side-wall members being interlocked one with another along said notched side walls to define the wall assembly of a box, said notches and projections securing said Wall members against relative axial slippage, a plurality of edge-embracing members, one for each side edge of said wall assembly, said edgeembracing members having an inner face tting snugly over one edge of said wall assembly and being drilled with bolt-receiving apertures, bolts therein securing said edge-embracing members and locking said wall assembly into a rigid structure, top and bottom pieces provided with anges fitting snugly over the top and bottom edges of said wall assembly, and demountable means holding said top and bottom members in position over the top and bottom edges of said wall assembly, defining a closed shipping container.

2. The structure defined in claim l wherein'said der mountablemeans for holding said top and bottom members in position comprises a plurality -of hook bolts having one end formed to hook over transversely disposed bolts joining a pair of said corner members and having their other ends threaded to receive nuts.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 908,779 Landon Jan. 5, 1909 1,673,324 YGardner June 12, 1928 2,406,448 Wheat Aug. 27, 1946 2,521,279 Becker Sept. 5, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,338 Great'Britain 1892 471,171 France July 3, 1914 288,761 Italy Sept. 22, 1931 

